Apple’s industry first 64-bit smartphone applications processor A7, featured in the iPhone 5S, gained significant traction in the latter half of the year.

MediaTek ranked number three , thanks to the company’s strong momentum in sub-$200 smartphones. MediaTek’s 28 nm-based quad-core chips have been received well in 2013.

Samsung ranked number four in the smartphone applications processor market in 2013. Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa featured in flagship devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and Note 3. During 2013, Samsung also released its first baseband-integrated applications processor, a significant product in the search for future growth.

Spreadtrum ranked number five in the smartphone applications processor market with the help of its EDGE, TD-SCDMA and UMTS applications processors. For the first time, Spreadtrum gained double-digit volume share in the smartphone applications processor market in 2013.

Multi-core chips from Broadcom, Marvell and HiSilicon gained traction in 2013. Broadcom came under pressure from Marvell and Spreadtrum at its key customer Samsung in 2013, but managed to win multiple high-volume design-wins. Marvell’s applications processor business entered a growth path, thanks to improved product portfolio and diversified customer portfolio.

Tegra smartphone revenue at NVIDIA recovered in the second half of 2013, thanks to the introduction of Tegra 4. NVIDIA’s upcoming Tegra 4i LTE chip could improve its smartphone applications processor volume.

According to Strategy Analytics’ Sravan Kundojjala, “Qualcomm widened its lead over competition in the smartphone applications processor market in 2013, thanks to its LTE-integrated Snapdragon chips and strong execution. Strategy Analytics believes that Qualcomm’s multi-mode LTE technology coupled with its in-house CPU, GPU and DSP technologies made Qualcomm a force to reckon with in the mobile processor market.”

According to Stuart Robinson, Director of the Strategy Analytics Handset Component Technologies service, “Strategy Analytics estimates that low-cost suppliers MediaTek and Spreadtrum registered significant growth and together captured about one-third volume share in the smartphone applications processor market in 2013. Strategy Analytics asserts that MediaTek and Spreadtrum will have to focus on high-end LTE and global markets for further growth.”

According to Stuart Robinson, Director of the Strategy Analytics Handset Component Technologies service, “Intel, Marvell, MediaTek, Qualcomm and Samsung all made progress in tablets in 2013 and registered significant growth in shipments. Qualcomm scored multiple high-profile tablet design-wins in 2013 and captured the top revenue share spot in non-iPad tablets in 2013.”